Circuit-closing device.



PATENTED MAY 21, 1907.

I. W. ERICKSON.

CIRCUIT CLOSING DEVICE.

A'PPLIOATION FILED JAN. 29. 1907.

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Wz/wMh- 4 rnnoamo WM. ERICKSON, oF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CIRCUIT-CLOSING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

Application filed January 29, 1907. Serial No. 354,606.

I0 rtZi whom it may concern- Be it known that I, Fa'nnnmc WM. ERICK".son, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain Improvements in Circuitlosing Devices, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to circuit closing devices such ascommonly used in connection with annunciators and vibrating bells in thecommon house signaling systems.

The ordinary push buttons employed as a circuit closer in house systemsare made upon a substantially uniform pattern, i. e., with two metalparts both attached to a base piece by means of small screws which aremanipulated to secure the wires of the conductors, and are frequentlylost and broken, and in an installation in a large building there ismuch loss from such parts and more vexation. At the same time suchdevices are frequently out of order owingto the frail nature of theparts, and also because the outer portion can be unscrewed and carriedaway.

The invention about to be described refers to an improvement over theordinarypush button, in that the device is self contained, simple, andcannot be taken "apart by mischievous persons.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,Figure l is a perspective view of the improved device detached. Fig. 2is a sectional view of the same located in a wall, and Figs. 3 and 4 arerespectively a perspective and a plan view of detached parts.

In the drawings B represents the face of a wall or portion of wood workin which the push button is located, and A is a metal face plate securedto the wood-work b the screws 8, 8, having a centrally threa ed hole inwhich the push button is screwed. The device is composed ofsubstantially two parts i a and c screwed to each other, each partcarryside of the disk (1 while the enlarged part4;-

is adapted to slide in the shell I), this shell 2' is drawn up fromsheet metal into the desired shape. A lass or other ornamental button 1is held in t e push d by the turned over edges o'fthe art 2, and a metalspindle 7 having its head under the said button depends into the lowerpart 4 and is steadied by the fiber disk e through which its bodypasses, the disk is held in place by the indentations 5, 5, in the wallsof the part 4, the space between the disk and the button being filledwith cement 6.

Upon the end of the shell I) is a fiber disk 9 having a central slot 9,and under said disk are the disks h, it, one upon the other bothprovidedwith the peripheral slots 14, 14 and the central slots 15, 15 and underthese disks is the hemi-spherical insulating part serving as a lining tothe part 0 having an extension through the orifice in the part c. Oneach side of the lower part of the device are the contact sprin s j, j,made from a strip of thin resilient meta and bent into the shaperepresented in Fig. 3, having two parallel sides or arms 10 and 12 theformer the longest and curved at its end, the two sides being jboined bya loop shaped end 11. In assemling the parts two spring pieces 7' havetheir spring sides 10 pressed through the slots 15, 15 in the two disksh, it, While the shorter arms extend up the sides of the slots 14 andtheir extreme ends are bent over as shown and clenched ontothe upperside of the top disk the part 76 is placed within the part c, theconductors have their bared ends inserted into the loops 11, of thesprings j and soldered and are drawn down while cement Z is placed inthe lower cavity to fill all interstices, and the disks h are pressedfirmly down, and the diskg is placed over the ends 10 of the springs jits slot 9 permitting the springs to play sidewise.

It will be seen that the button is placed in the end of the sleeve b andpressed outward, and when the part bis to be screwed onto the part c aspring f is inserted so that one end bears upon the disk e, and when theparts are screwed together, the opposite end of the spring f bears onthe disk g.

The several disks 0, g and h as well as the piece is are stamped orpressed out from the common insulating fiber.

When the device is attached to the plate Athere is nothing that can beunscrewed ,from the outside by the hand and it makes a good solidappearance. When the button is depressed the end 8 of the spindle 7enters,

separates and. makes a scraping solid contact with the springs j, j, andwhen released the spring f brings the button sharply away to its normalposition.

I claim as my invention:

1. A circuit closer consisting essentially of outer and inner partsadapted to be separably attached to each other, the outer part having anexternal flange from which extends an externally threaded shell, amovable tubular portion in said shell one end being of reduced diameterand extending through an orifice in said flange and constituting thepush, and holding an insulated dependent spindle; the inner part adaptedto engage the said threaded shell and having an orifice at its inner endand two contact springs secured in suitable insulating disks adapted toengage said spindle, with means to connect conductors passing throughthe, said orifice to the contact sprin s, and a spring adapted to keepthe spindle rom the contact s rings.

2. A circuit closer consisting essentially of outer and inner tubularparts adapted to be separably attached to each other, the outer parthaving an external plate from which extends an externally threadedshell, a movable tubular portion in said shell one end being reduced indiameter to form a shoulder extending through an orifice in said plateand abutting against the inner face of the same and constituting thepush, and holding a dependent metal spindle supported in the shell by aninsulating disk and cement; the inner part adapted to engage the saidthreaded'shell at one end, and having its opposite end preferablyhemi-spherical witha central l i i l other, the outer part provided withan external flange servlng as an abutment when the tubular parts areinserted 1n a support, havportion to form a shoulder, a push buttonfitting in the tubular part with an'outer portlon of smaller diameterprojecting from the sald orifice and resting against said shoulder, aninsulating disk held in the button tl'n'ough which extends a metalspindle whose head is held in place by cement; the inner part havmg ahemi-spherical end with a central orifice and containing insulatingdisks, two contact springs supported by said disks adapted to engagesaid spindle, and provided with means for connecting insulatedconductors Inside th' inner part, and a spring adapted to keep thespindle from the contact springs, as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 26th day of January, 1907.

I FREDERIC WM. ERICKSON- -Witnesses:

J. M. WATTERs HARnIEr LEVI.

mg an orifice of less area than the tubulartubular parts separablyconnected with each

